Now available from runningwildpress.com and https://bookshop.org/. In the U.K. or Europe, you can also buy this book from Blackwells, London.
Edited by Lisa Montagne, Ed.D. This book includes four pieces by Lisa Montagne and 12 other contributors.
Let’s talk about life’s red flags! How to recognize, avoid, laugh at, embrace, or learn from them! Have you ever been in a situation when you ignored internal warning signals but forged ahead anyway? Or in a situation where you were about to leap into something, but your inner voice stopped you? The Red Flags: Tales of Love and Instinct anthology is a collection of stories about what happens when you listen to your intuition and when you don’t. The authors in this book bare all to readers about consequences that range from amusingly relatable to heart-breaking and life-changing.
Reviews:
Adrianne Beer’s work expertly navigates the vulnerability of dating life in Chicago. In “Do You Believe in God? And Other Second Date Questions,” a Me Too-ed indie musician interests and then underwhelms a woman who has seen accusations against him on Tumblr. Refreshingly honest, the work steers clear from insisting people fit into discrete moral categories. A millennial Mary Gaitskill, Beer’s work is clear-eyed rather than wide-eyed.
—Daniela Olszewska, author of Citizen J and How to Feel Confident With Your Special Talents
In “A Foreign Taste,” Lisa Montagne bravely recounts scenes from a marriage that should have never been. Taken in by a seemingly suave Englishman, a very young woman ignores the potential for brutality he clearly telegraphs. This is a courageous contribution to a courageous book.
—Terence Hawkins, author of The Rage of Achilles and founder of the Yale Writers Workshop
The complicated mess of dating and romance comes through in Margo McCall’s delightful story, “When I Dream I Die.” Reeled in at the opening scene, I couldn’t stop reading as this doomed-from-the-start relationship unfolded. Red flags abound and McCall’s humorous touches and deft storytelling make for an intriguing, shocking, and memorable story.
— Desiree Kannel, author of the novel Lucky John (Black Rose, 2020) and the short story “Running Man” (Running Wild Press anthology, 2019).
https://www.desireekannel.com/
“Heart Swindler” involves courtroom drama, lies, and love — or rather, manipulations of love. A page-turner, it is told through the lens of a perceptive juror, raising many questions about what is real or imagined in the land of romance. Aptly titled, this engaging piece reveals an often-invisible crime and sheds light on a dark and twisted tale of love.
–Patricia Hoolihan, author of Hands and Heart Together-Daily Meditations for Caregivers and Storm Prayers: Retrieving and Reimagining Matters of the Soul www.patriciahoolihan.com
“I’ve Been Swindled” by Rebecca Rush is a tilt-a-whirl of a read! I was hooked from the first sentence—the mix of absurdity, acid, humor, and honesty makes so many direct hits. The super-fast pace is almost out of control, just like the relationship between the protagonist and a “famous librarian.” I hope at this point that famous librarian is dead of untreated syphilis.
Rush rocks!
–Laurie Notaro, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Idiot Girl’s Action Adventure Club and finalist for The Thurber Award for American Humor
Writing as Amara Phoenix, Alicia Delory’s “Patio” is a stunning piece that reminds us that even during pain and loss, there is humor and light waiting for us if we stay the course…even if what props us up is sometimes crude and shoddy. Delory’s voice is one you’ll want to listen to again and again. Keep your eyes on this writer – she’s one to watch.
– – Michelle Boyajian, author of Lies of the Heart
Bobby Rollins’ flash fiction “A Lesson in A Minute” may take only a minute to read, but its impact will stick with you for days.
— David LaBounty, Blue Cubicle Press
